Tell me a story

I've spent the last month offering up a series of posts based on Chip and Dan Heath's book about viral marketing. In the last article of the series I'll be examining the craft of telling a story. The idea of using a story to make a point stick is an ancient one, going back to Biblical times when parables were used to explain spiritual principles.
Of all the keys to creating a sticky message, I have to admit this one is my absolute favorite. Anyone who has seen me speak knows I'm a story teller. I'm one of those people who teaches and explains best via analogy or example and I've been told time and time again by people in my sessions that those stories really help drive home the point.
The nice thing about story telling is it's not just for teaching, it's a compelling way to get someone to both remember and talk about your point.
(I've pulled these six components from Chip and Dan Heath's Made to Stick and put my own spin on them.)
Part One: The Need for Simplicity
Part Two: … [Read more...] about Six Keys to a Viral Message that Sticks – Part Six: Tell a Story

I frequently advise clients that the secret to successful search engine optimization is to have content that people really want to find. And, beyond SEO, the secret to a successful site is that the same content makes prospective buyers want to read it, and it persuades them to buy what you are selling. It sounds simple, and for some companies, it is simple, but we often make things more complicated than they are. I find that small and large companies each struggle with this question of what story to tell, but they struggle in different ways.
Large companies always ask me, "How do I decide which story to tell? We have so many stories that I can't choose." Small companies ask me, "But what can I say? We're just a little company and no one will care."
Image by Jill Clardy via Flickr
Both of these questions miss the point, because they presuppose that each question actually has a correct answer. Neither one does.
These questions are a lot like asking, "What should I talk about with my … [Read more...] about For SEO, you need a story to tell

We’re getting more and more reports from readers who are seeing a “new” Google look-and-feel for its search results. This is a three column design that Google’s actually been testing for some time. That testing appears to be accelerating. NOTE: Google’s new look is now live. See: Meet The New Google & Its Colorful, Useful “Search Options” Column. Google Tackles Its “UI Jazz” Problem, Tests Streamlining Search Options Feature is our story from last November that takes an in-depth look at the new user interface and the features it offers. At the time, we wrote: So who sees the changes? About 1% to 3% of Google users, who will be randomly selected. The test will probably run for about six weeks. If successful, expect to see the changes — altered to take in account test feedback — show up across Google soon after that. That six week period has long come and passed — but the testing continues. Google tells me a … [Read more...] about Yes, More Are Seeing A New Google Look-And-Feel

In the fall of 2011, I was contacted by the Director of Marketing for a B2B company. The company’s website had been hammered by Panda, and he didn’t know what to do. I could tell very quickly that his team was truly baffled. The company and website have been around for a long time, the site contains a boatload of ultra-high quality content, and used to rank for thousands of keywords. The Director of Marketing made sure to point me to their top articles, whitepapers, blog posts, etc. after our initial conversation. I can tell you that he was right; they had a ton of great content. In addition, the site’s link profile was not only clean, but it was ridiculously impressive. They had earned tens of thousands of links, many from relevant and powerful sites in their industry. Needless to say, I was fascinated by this story, and I was eager to begin assisting them. Although the company will remain anonymous, I received approval to write this post covering the details and key … [Read more...] about 6 Months with Panda: A Story of Complacency, Hard Decisions, and Recovery